Resources
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Resources
Planning Ahead for the Approaching Holiday Season as a Caregiver
Holidays often have a special meaning for older adults and their family members. They are occasions set aside to acknowledge the passage of time, celebrate significant events in our lives and bring families and friends to come together. By making the most of these special moments, we can truly value our time together with the ones we love.
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Honor Your Mental Health on World Mental Health Day
Sunday, October 10, is World Mental Health Day. Those of us who serve on the staff of the Behavioral Health Services (BHS) department of the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging demonstrate our dedication and commitment to helping older adults with mental health issues not only on this special day, but every day. Our organization has a long history of service to those older adults who struggle with their mental health. We believe that recognizing the importance of breaking the stigma attached to mental health issues and encouraging all people to take care of themselves, especially their emotional and mental wellbeing, is key to a life well lived.
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Communicating a Loved One’s Health and Dementia Behaviors to Children
Finding out that a family member has dementia and providing care for them can be full of both challenges and meaningful moments. It also impacts the whole family. When we add children into the mix, certain situations can get even more difficult to handle. Many of us may be struggling with how to communicate a loved one’s health or dementia-related behaviors to young children, such as a loved one’s grandchildren, especially regarding what to say and how to say it. However, having these important discussions can also be a positive shifting point in our relationships with them.
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Creative Arts Programming for Older Adults
Finding meaningful ways to engage with an older loved one can be a challenge, especially during the pandemic. For those looking for an activity to do together with a loved one—whether indoors or outdoors—creative arts may be a good place to start! Helping a loved one get in touch with their creative side can offer many benefits and may be easier to do than we think.
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Understanding and Managing Dementia-Related Behavior Changes
A loved one with dementia will experience many changes as the disease progresses. Though dementia is most commonly associated with memory loss, the changes dementia causes to the brain impact more than just memory—personality and behavior can be affected as well. We may feel that a loved one with dementia isn’t “acting like themselves” or that their actions might be “uncharacteristic.” Sometimes this can manifest in small ways, like being less alert than usual, or being more talkative around strangers. Other times, they may say or do something much more difficult to handle, like having an outburst of anger in public or making a sexually inappropriate comment.
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